Social Network Theory and Management of the Sub-supply Network in Complex Sectors

Filomena Izzo

doi:10.5539/ibr.v10n7p46

Abstract

Studies on complex product development have seen different improvement approaches to achieve shorter product development lead times and higher return on investment. Complex product development still lack on the ‘better, faster and cheaper’ paradigm for efficient communication and information exchange flow process. This paper aims at understanding how the critical interdependent techniques are managed in the sub-supply network of a complex sector such as Business Aviation Industry. Thus, the aim is to envisage the best practice approach for technical communication networks among these systems-design teams and also how the bottlenecks existing could be effectively and efficiently addressed to enhance collaborative industrial supply-chain management network competitive advantage.This paper employing social network theory propose information flow process toward enhancing an industrial sustainable competitive advantage. From a methodological point of view, the research is based on a single case study, a questionnaire was used to collect data for the level of communication network from Business Aviation supply chain network.The outcome of the research highlights how communication in the sub-supply network significantly influences the attention the teams pay to the organization of the critical interdependent techniques. Moreover this research identifies an effective and efficient communication is sees as the driver for effective organization management, which need enhancement for industrial competitive advantage. Finally, the research carried-out undoubtedly gives a considerable contribution in understanding critical and complex issues in the relationships in sub-supplying in Business Aviation Industry.The outcome could be further developed by extending the interviews to the businesses involved in the sub-supply chain.

Highlights

The airplane has such characteristics that businesses are stimulated to adopt a collaborative outlook (Izzo, 2009), including huge complex products such as jet engines, marine, automobile (Maier et al, 2008; Hsu and Wallace, 2007; Addo-Tenkorang and Eyob, 2012)
The team is responsible for the planning, development, production of the sub-system, and the integration of the sub-system with other components to guarantee the proper operation of the overall product/system (Clark & Fujimoto, 1991)
Though the attention on the interdependent techniques is crucial for the development of a complex product (Humphries et al, 2007; Puvanasvaran et al, 2009; Min et al, 2005; Tsanos et al, 2014), the design teams often ignore, or http://ibr.ccsenet.org

Summary

Introduction

The airplane has such characteristics that businesses are stimulated to adopt a collaborative outlook (Izzo, 2009), including huge complex products such as jet engines, marine, automobile (Maier et al, 2008; Hsu and Wallace, 2007; Addo-Tenkorang and Eyob, 2012). The team is responsible for the planning, development, production of the sub-system, and the integration of the sub-system with other components to guarantee the proper operation of the overall product/system (Clark & Fujimoto, 1991). This must be in an efficient and effective manner (Gligor and Holcomb, 2012, 2014; Gligoret al., 2013; Kampstraet al., 2005; Musa et al, 2014; Maier et al, 2008; Hsu and Wallace, 2007; Addo-Tenkorang and Eyob, 2012; Chandra and Grabis, 2007; Childerhouse and Towill, 2011). Though the attention (attention meaning the observation, the coding, the interpretation and the focus on time and effort the design teams dedicate to identifying and solving problems – Ocasio, 1997) on the interdependent techniques is crucial for the development of a complex product (Humphries et al, 2007; Puvanasvaran et al, 2009; Min et al, 2005; Tsanos et al, 2014), the design teams often ignore, or http://ibr.ccsenet.org

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion